Deep in the steamy rainforests of Panama lives a spectacular-looking animal with an extravagant trick; the matador bug, Bitta alipes, sports vivid red patches on its back legs, which it raises and waves in a striking display.
For a long time, scientists assumed this flamboyant performance was part of courtship. But a new study, published in Current Zoology, has overturned that idea, showing instead that the display is a highly effective defence against predators.
To test the anti-predator theory, researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) collected matador bugs from around the small town of Gamboa in Panama and placed them in the presence of two other insects: predatory praying mantids (mantis) and harmless katydids. They recorded 2,938 leg waves by 25 individuals.
The difference was clear. On average, matador bugs waved their legs seven times more often when mantids were near, but showed little reaction to katydids. Crucially, mantids never attacked bugs that were actively waving.
This discovery suggests the waving display is triggered specifically by danger. Observations of related insects in Panama, combined with searches of online footage, revealed at least five other species in the same family also perform similar flag-waving, pointing to a wider evolutionary pattern.
All these insects feed on passionflower vines, which are known to carry toxins. The researchers suggest the waving could be a warning signal, advertising chemical defences, or it might confuse predators’ vision and make an attack more difficult. Exactly how the behaviour works remains unknown.
“Every time we look closely at these animals, we uncover fascinating survival strategies,” says lead researcher Connor Evans-Blake. “Studying them helps us understand not only how individual species adapt, but also how ecosystems become so diverse and complex.”
Top image: Tropical rainforest near Gamboa in Panama. Credit: Getty
More amazing wildlife stories from around the world